The Reds' new No.7 was handed his bow as a second-half substitute, playing just under half an hour and finding the back of the net on 79 minutes after rounding goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and slotting home much to the delight of the Kop.

Raul Meireles had earlier put Liverpool ahead on 47 minutes when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box to fire home his third in four matches.

The result is the Reds' third straight victory and consolidates their position of seventh place in the table.

After a hectic deadline day at Anfield, in which the club broke their transfer record twice in the same 24 hours to bring in Suarez and Andy Carroll, whilst also selling Fernando Torres to Chelsea, it was back to on the pitch matters for Liverpool.

With all transfer activity now done and dusted until the summer, Kenny Dalglish was eager for his side to build on their back-to-back victories in the Barclays Premier League over Wolves and Fulham - six points that had elevated Liverpool up to seventh in the table.

Of the new signings, only Suarez was included in the Reds' 18-man matchday squad as Carroll continues to recover from injury - the Uruguayan named on the substitutes' bench alongside the fit-again Jamie Carragher.

Dalglish made three changes to the side that had beaten Fulham last time out, with Lucas Leiva, Fabio Aurelio and Sotirios Kyrgiakos restored to the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Stoke included former Anfield men Jermaine Pennant and Salif Diao in their line-up.

Heading into the clash, the Reds had emerged triumphant in 13 of the last 14 league meetings between the two sides in front of the Kop, though Stoke journeyed to L4 just two points behind in the table and with their 2-0 win over Liverpool in November still fresh in the memory.

But it was the hosts who made the more promising start, crisply zipping the ball about in the opening exchanges - and they could have taken the lead on five minutes had it not been for Diao hacking Kyrgiakos's goal-bound header off the line.

Martin Skrtel then stabbed wide after reclaiming possession on the edge of the opponent's box, though Robert Huth had snatched at a half chance when Kyrgiakos's clearance from a Pennant free-kick fell kindly for him moments earlier.

But Stoke were proving a stubborn unit to breach as the game progressed, with Liverpool seeing several promising moves halted at the final hurdle.

One such manoeuvre resulted in Steven Gerrard having a penalty appeal waved away just prior to the half-hour mark when the skipper's surging run into the danger zone was unceremoniously blocked by Huth.

The hosts did undo the Potters' backline on 36 minutes, but Glen Johnson's powerful header inside the six-yard box from Martin Kelly's cross was acrobatically stopped one handed by Asmir Begovic. Seconds later, Dirk Kuyt glanced wide from Gerrard's centre.

The chances were gradually beginning to come for Liverpool and another move saw Gerrard and then Meireles both guilty of delaying a shot on goal before the ball eventually broke kindly for Kuyt, who could only hook over from close range.

The Dutchman again tried his luck on the stroke of half-time after a free-flowing move involving Gerrard, Fabio Aurelio and Lucas Leiva fashioned a shooting chance on the edge of the box for the striker. However, Begovic proved equal to it to ensure the teams went in on level terms at the break.

Nonetheless, Liverpool broke the deadlock two minutes after the re-start.

Gerrard's long-range free-kick deflected into the path of Kyrgiakos inside the box, whose heavy touch presented a shooting chance for Meireles. The Portuguese star required no second invitation and gleefully slammed the ball beyond Begovic from eight yards.

The home side were now firmly in the ascendency, but John Carew fired a reminder that the contest wasn't over on the hour, drilling narrowly wide of Reina's far post after collecting Pennant's pass.

On 63 minutes, the moment Liverpool fans had been waiting for finally arrived when Suarez was introduced into the action in place of Aurelio, receiving a rapturous reception in the process.

And the Uruguayan wasted no time in further endearing himself to his new fans as he got on the scoresheet on 79 minutes.

Kuyt prodded the ball beyond the Stoke rearguard, sending Suarez scampering through on Begovic before he coolly rounded the stopper and slid home, with Andy Wilkinson's attempts to clear proving in vain.

It only served to heighten the feel-good factor around Anfield as Liverpool made it nine points out of a possible nine.

Liverpoolfc.tv man of the match: Lucas Leiva